Thermoelectric water coolers



June 16, 1964 G. A. KlsTLl-:R 3,137,141

THERMOELECTRIC WATER COOLERS Filed April 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 z j m 74 N 5 L f 1 i E Jl- I8 719 GERALD MM .4f/@

A T oAPN/f/ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

G. A. KISTLER THERMOELECTRIC WATER COOLERS GERALD AJKmTLER June 16, 1964 Filed April 19, 1962 A T TURA/ possible in ordinary production practice. thermoelectric modules of the type herein disclosed, the

3,137,141 TIIERMUELECTRIC WATER CILERS Gerald A. Kistler, Warren, Ohio, assigner to Halsey W. Taylor Company, Warren, Ohio Filed Apr. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 183,627

6 Claims. (Cl. 62-3) l My invention relates to thermoelectric water coolers and the principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved coolers of this type.

Many years ago it has been found that when an electric current is passed through a thermoelectric couple, one junction is heated and the other junction is cooled. This ,effect is` called the Peltier effect and named after its discoverer, lean Peltier.

My invention utilizes the Peltier effect in a water cooler construction of efficient design so as to eliminate the necessity of the usual compressor-condenser construction now common in commercial and domestic water coolers. Elimination of these parts will greatly prolong the life of a water cooler since moving parts, such as in a compressor and motor, are no longer necessary. f

In the drawings accompanying this specification and `forming a part of this application, there are shown, for purposes of illustration, several embodiments which this invention may assume, and in these drawings:

FIGURE 1 Vis a section through the front of a casing which includes an embodiment of my invention,

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section corresponding generally to the line 2-2 of FIGURE l,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the construction shown in FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged plan view of a thermoelectric module used in the present embodiment of my'invention,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View corresponding generally to the line 5 5 of FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but disclosing a different embodiment of my invention.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIG- URES l through 5 comprises a housing 10 which may be formed of any suitable electric and heat insulating materiaLpreferably of the type which is form retaining `to provide a desired degree of rigidity. Within the housing 10 is a water cooling member 11 and in the embodiment illustrated the cooling member comprises a water coil 12, preferably copper tubing wound to serpentine formation.

To secure the ultimate in thermal transference, the Water coil 12 is cast within a block 14 of material having good thermal conducting properties and of a lower melting point than the material of the water coil. Irl-the event that the Water coil is formed of copper tubing, the block may be formed of aluminum. Further, the housing 10 may be cast about the block 14, if desired, and

vmay be provided with a metal jacket (not shown) enclosing all but awall 15, for support and decorative purposes.

The wall 15 is provided with a plurality of transverse openings 16 extending therethrough which may be rectangular, as seen in dotted lines in FIGURE 1, and spaced in a predetermined rectangular pattern. The wall 15 is preferably formed with flat opposed sides 34, 17, and the rear surface 1S (or righthand surface as viewed in FIG- URE 2) of the block 14 is disposed in juxtaposed relation with respect to the side 119 of the Wall 15.

Preferably, the surface 18 is machined and/or ground smooth and perfectly fiat or as near perfectly at as is For use with surface 18 is provided with a thermally-conducting electrically-insulating film or coating 19 and at the present time a film produced by an anodizing process is preferred.

A heat dissipating member 20 is secured to the-wall 15 and in the embodiment disclosed in FIGURES 1v u United States Patent O 3,137,141 Patented June 16, 1964 Ice through 5 this member takes the form of a water coil 21, preferably copper tubing wound to serpentine formation. To secure the ultimate in thermal transference, the Water coil is cast within a block 22 which may be the same ma- 5 terial as the block 14.

The block 22 is formed with ears 23 and suitable fastening means engage the ears for the purpose of holding the block 22 in place. At Ythe presenttime, it is preferred to use screws 24 which pass through aligned holes in the ears 23 and the wall 15 `and are threaded into the block 14. The screws are formed of heat insulating material and may be metal screws covered with a nylon or like coating, or the screws may be formed entirely of nylon, Teflon, or the like.

The front surface 45 (or the left hand surface shown in FIGURE 2) of the block 22 is disposed in juxtaposed relation with respect to the side 17 of the wall 15. Preferably, the surface 45 is machined and/ or ground smooth and perfectly fiat or as near perfectly flat as is possible in ordinary production practice. For use with thermoelectric modules of the type herein disclosed, the surface 45 is provided with a thermally-conductive, electricallyinsulating ilm or coating 46, and at the present time a iilm produced by an anodizing process is preferred.

The coil 12 has an inlet 25 which is adapted to vbe connected to a suitable source of drinking water supply (not shown) and the coil has an outlet 26 which may be connected to a cold water storage tank as in usual water cooler construction, and/or to a bubbler (not shown) or other suitable dispensing valve. The inlet 30 of the coil 21 is connected to a suitable source of water and the latter is caused to ow through the coil 21 and outwardly of an outlet 32 to dissipate heat from the block 21.

Within each of the openings 16 of the wall 15 is a ther- Amoelectric means, and such means are preferably disposed thermally in parallel and connected electrically in series, although the reverse may be utilized. A suitable comi mercially available type of thermoelectric means is manufactured by Ohio Semiconductors, Division of Tecumseh Products Company, and is identified as TA-ZO. Referring particularly to FIGURES 4 and 5, each module comprises an array of thermoelectric junctions, eight in the particular case illustrated. Each module is preferably Vrectangular in plan, as seen in FIGURE 4, and of a size to fit within an opening 16 in the wall 14. As best seen in FIGURE 5, each of the array of thermoelectric junctions comprises two dissimilar metals, such as N Vtype bismuth telluride alloy (designated N) and P type bismuth telluride alloy (designated P) the metals being electrically connected in series by copper strips 37 which are y insulated from each other as shown by insulation represented by the areas 38 and which may be a suitable potting compound. The strips 37 on the underside of FIG- URE 4 are shown by the dotted lines which indicate that the lower strips are of a smaller size than the upper strips, but this is merely to illustrate the disposition of the various strips since in they preferred construction all lstrips are of the same size.

The modules are electrically connected in series, the modules at opposite ends of the series relation being connected by conductors 40, 41 to a-rectiier 42 (in the event the available power supply is alternating current). The rectifier 42 is shown in FIGURE l as connected to lines L1 and L2 extending from a suitable source of electric power, such as the power linenormally present for As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 5, the top and bottom of each of the modules present substantially flat parallel surfaces, and as before pointed out the modules have their component parts connected electrically in series. The connecting strips 37, which form the junction between the elements PV and N, are so disposed that all the cold junctions are Von one side of the module and all the hot junctions are on the opposite side.

Each module is disposed within a wall opening 16 so that its cold junctions are directed toward the block surface 1S. The Wall 15 is preferably of slightly less thickness than the distance'between the opposite flat surfaces of the modules so that when the block 22 is secured Ain place, the modules are securely clamped between surfaces 18 and 4,5 of the blocks 14 and 22With the hot vand cold junctions in firm contact with the surfaces 18 and 45 to provide the ultimate in thermal transfer.

In the `embodiment disclosed in FIGURE 6, certain construction is similar to that already described and Acorresponding 'parts will be identified with the same reference numerals supplemented with lthe suiiix a.

In FIGURE 6, the block 22 and Water coil 21 are omitted and in place of ythe block aplate 56 is bolted tothe block 14a, the plate having an anodized Yfilm 46a which engages the hot junctions of the modules. The construction in FIGURE 6 is adapted for air cooling and as shown the plate 56 is formed with a plurality of cooling-fins 57 which may either be cast integrally with the plate or formed separately and secured thereto, and may be exposed to a stream of cooling air.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the rart that the embodiments herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from therspirit of the invention, and

that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages a source of Water and having its other end adapted to be connected to an outlet for dispensing cooled water, said block having a at surface held in juxtoposed relationwith respect to one side surface of said supporting Wall, a heat dissipating member including a water coilV cast within a second block of metal and having one end adapted torbe connected to a source of water and having its other end adapted to be connected to an outlet for the k.water heated by passage therethrough, said second block `and with all cold junctions held against the flat surface of said rst block and all hot junctions held against the fiat surface of said second block.

2. The construction according to claim 1 and including thermally-conducting electrically-insulating means between the cold and hot junctions of said modules and the respective flat surfaces of saidlirst and second blocks.

3. The constructionaccording to claim 2 wherein said thermally-conducting electrically-insulating means are anodized films on the iiat surfaces of said rst and second blocks.

4. A thermoelectric water cooler, comprising a supporting ywall having opposed at side surfaces and a plurality of transverse openings therethrough, a cooling member including a water coil cast yWithin a block of rnetal and having one end adapted to be connected -to a source of drinking water andhaving its other end adapted to be connected to an outlet Vfor dispensing cooled drinking Water, said block having anat surface held in juxtaposed relation with respect to one side surface of said supporting wall, a heat dissipating member including a metal plate having heat dissipating tins cast thereon and eX- tending laterally therefrom, said heat dissipating ns being disposed Within and subjected to the cooling effect ofthe surrounding air, said plate having a flat surface `held -in juxtaposed relation with respect to the opposite side surface of said supporting wall, and a thermoelectric module in each of said wall openings, each module having opposed flat cold and -hot junctions and said modules being disposed thermally in parallel with all cold junctions -held fiatwise against the flat surface of said block vand all cold junctions held at wise against the flat surface of said plate. l A

5. The construction according toclaim 4 wherein said supporting Wallis formed of electric insulating material to insulate said modules from each other and further including thermally-conducting electrically-insulating References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,612,357 Parks Sept. 30, 1952 V3,008,300 Ryan Nov. 14, 1961 Elfving Ian. 29, 1963 

1. A THERMOELECTRIC WATER COOLER, COMPRISING A SUPPORTING WALL HAVING OPPOSED FLAT SIDE SURFACES PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE OPENINGS THERETHROUGH, A COOLING MEMBER INCLUDING A WATER COIL CAST WITHIN A FIRST BLOCK OF METAL AND HAVING ONE END ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF WATER AND HAVING ITS OTHER END ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO AN OUTLET FOR DISPENSIG COOLED WATER, SAID BLOCK HAVING A FLAT SURFACE HELD IN JUXTOPOSED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO ONE SIDE SURFACE OF SAID SUPPORTING WALL, A HEAT DISSIPATIG MEMBER INCLUDING A WATER COIL CAST WITHIN A SECOND BLOCK OF METAL AND HAVING ONE END ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF WATER AND HAVING ITS OTHER END ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO AN OUTLET FOR THE WATER HEATED BY PASAGE THERETHROUGH, SAID SECOND BLOCK HAVIG A FLAT SURFACE HELD IN JUXTAPOSED RELATION WITH RE- 